1. Field
The disclosure relates to an apparatus for producing embroidery data and to a program for controlling the production of the embroidery data. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a technique for arranging at least a part of a second embroidery area within a first embroidery area in such a way that the second area can be embroidered expressively with raised or recessed texture.
2. Description of Related Art
When an area within a set outline (hereinafter referred to as the base area) is filled with stitches, embroidery stitches may be formed such that a separate design pattern is expressed within the base area. In the past, various kinds of apparatuses have been proposed to produce embroidery data for forming such embroidery stitches. This embroidery technique of forming a separate design pattern within a base area filled with stitches is known as “stamp embroidery”, while the design pattern expressed within the base area is known as a “stamp pattern”.
For example, an embroidery data producing device as described in JP-B-7-4456 is available as a technique for producing embroidery data to perform such stamp embroidery. This embroidery data producing device is so designed that when embroidery stitches are formed in an embroidery area of the base area, the intersections of embroidery stitches in the base area and the outline of an embroidery area with a stamp pattern are set as needle drop points. This device is designed such that the needle is made to drop at every point on the outline of the inner stamp pattern. A different pattern is formed within the base area.
In the embroidery data producing device described in the above-cited Patent Publication, a stamp pattern is represented simply by setting needle drop points on the outline of the stamp pattern inside the base area to be embroidered with satin stitches. Consequently, the base area and the inside of the stamp pattern do not differ in stitch type. Therefore, it is impossible to make the stamp design pattern (corresponding to the second area to be embroidered) more conspicuous than the base area (corresponding to the first area to be embroidered). Hence, there is the problem that the stamp pattern cannot be expressed effectively.